


searching for the answer

by isloremipsumafterall



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-26
Updated: 2019-11-26
Packaged: 2021-02-25 21:21:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,482
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21572143
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/isloremipsumafterall/pseuds/isloremipsumafterall
Summary: “I know. I can’t believe I’m doing this…” Dorothea sighed, “Help me?”He clapped a hand on her shoulder, grinning, “You’ve come to the right place. No one knows how to pick up girls like I do.”“I regret this already.”orSylvain and Petra are pretty good wingmen
Relationships: Dorothea Arnault/Ingrid Brandl Galatea
Comments: 5
Kudos: 143





	searching for the answer

Somehow dinner with Sylvain became a weekly tradition that Dorothea hadn’t expected to enjoy so much. The harmless flirting was always fun and Sylvain certainly understood her position on nobility and being fed up with it but what she enjoyed most of all was Sylvain’s childhood stories of what he, Dimitri, Felix, and Ingrid all got up to.

“…for all she lectured us on thinking with our heads Ingrid sure didn’t when she was hungry. We got back from being lost in the woods all day and she bowled over Felix’s father just trying to get into the kitchen.”

“Nothing wrong with a girl with an appetite.” Dorothea sipped her tea, hiding a smile behind the rim of the cup.

Sylvain smirked at that and opened his mouth but Dorothea kicked him under the table to cut off any inappropriate comment he was about to make. “Ouch,” He said, exaggerating the pain with a pout.

“What is her favourite dish anyway?” Dorothea asked, pointedly ignoring the pout.

It was a mistake, Sylvain might have played the idiot card often but she knew he was clever and sure enough his eyes narrowed at her and a new smirk bloomed on his face. “So is that what these dinners are really about?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

He stared at her, waiting her out.

“Oh fine. I really did just want to spend time with you, I just…”

“Also wanted to know what one of my best friends likes so you can sleep with them?” Sylvain added with a grin.

She kicked him under the table again, “So I can get to know her better.” Dorothea sighed, “I might have made a mistake our first conversation, now she thinks I only want to talk to her to get her in a dress and take her to the opera.”

“You don’t?”

“Well…” Dorothea paused. “I don’t mind it but there’s plenty of other date options.” She allowed herself a smirk, “Like getting her out of the dress.”

Sylvain laughed loudly, drawing far too much attention to them but Dorothea didn’t mind it and merely beamed at everyone staring their way.

“But did you even tell her it was a date?” He teased when he calmed down.

Dorothea blew out a sigh, “I didn’t think I needed to, I thought it was obvious.”

“Look, Ingrid is a lot of things but picking up subtle hints has never been her strong point.”

“I’ve noticed.” Dorothea rested her hand on her cheek in thought. “But she does have so many strong points. Including being so strong, she’s no Dimitri I know but still…” Dorothea’s mouth curled up in the memory of Ingrid slamming a training lance through a practice dummy. “And she looks...”

“Angry? Annoyed? Dismayed?” Sylvain offered.

“Oh that’s just at you and you deserve it.” Dorothea retorted, “I was going to say she looks graceful.”

Sylvain choked on his own spit, gasping a bit for air.

“Ingrid?! Our Ingrid?”

“ _My_ Ingrid.” Dorothea threw back. “Well. She’s her own girl but I might like to call her that again someday. And yes. Graceful, in her own way. She may not see the beauty she holds but I do.” Her tone held some warning that Sylvain caught on.

“All right, all right. But what are you going to do about it? We’ve all seen you lingering outside the Blue Lions classroom and how Ingrid hurries past.”

“I know. I can’t believe I’m doing this…” Dorothea sighed, “Help me?”

He clapped a hand on her shoulder, grinning, “You’ve come to the right place. No one knows how to pick up girls like I do.”

“I regret this already.”

* * *

Ingrid considered herself lucky. For all that the three drove her insane she was glad to have Dimitri, Felix, and Sylvain in the monastery with her. There was still a bond between the four of them, frailer now but there. She had her childhood best friends with her regardless.

She could not say the same for Dorothea however.

The girl had a lot of friends of course but a best friend? Ingrid just couldn’t pinpoint who that might be. Which was a shame because she deserved someone close to her that she could talk to freely. Dorothea deserved a lot of things but Ingrid would start with figuring out a way to talk to her without getting so tongue tied all the time.

She was still trying to decide who to ask, watching Petra idly as she went through several training dummies in the yard, when Linhardt dropped to the seat beside her.

“Dorothea’s prideful.”

Ingrid jumped at the sudden intrusion, twisting herself sideways to stare at Linhardt. “What?”

Linhardt yawned and leaned back to rest on his elbows. “You’ve been looking for information about Dorothea, right?”

Her face felt like if it got any hotter that it could be used to grill the meat she enjoyed so much at dinners. “I…”

“Don’t bother denying it. I already figured it out.” Linhardt waved her concern away and Ingrid spluttered a little at it.

Her shoulders sank. “Has Dorothea?”

“Oh no.” He assured her, “She’s been too caught up trying to ask you out to notice that you’ve been avoiding her due to your attraction towards her.”

As it turned out her face could get warmer.

“She’s been what?”

Linhardt didn’t answer though; the soft snores coming from him were enough to understand he was fast asleep.

“Are you all right, Ingrid. Are you in need of assistance?”

For the second time that day she jumped at the sudden voice next to her and turned now to see Petra standing over her looking concerned.

“Your face is… it is my understanding the sun does not have friendliness towards some in Fodlan.”

Ingrid laughed a little, wishing that it was a simple sunburn that was affecting her. “No that’s true, I’ve never been able to stay outside as often as I’d like. But that’s not this, Petra.”

Petra tilted her head, the curiosity in her gaze growing. “Then you are having sickness?”

“No no,” Ingrid shook her head. “I was just…embarrassed. That’s all. Linhardt told me something I wasn’t expecting to hear.”

“Ah, I am having understanding.” Petra sounded relieved. “Linhardt has spoken to you about Dorothea.”

If she had felt like her face was cooling off that was gone in a second.

“We had been asking him to.” Petra continued on, oblivious to Ingrid’s internal distress.

“We?” Ingrid asked, somewhat miserably and dreading the answer.

“Yes.” Petra nodded, her braid swinging behind her as she did. “Bernadetta and I.” She looked a little remorseful at her next sentence, “I was unsure I would be able to explain it and Bernadetta…”

“…Is Bernadetta and probably a little too scared of me.” Ingrid conceded with a wry smile. “I had hoped she was feeling better around me since our talk…”

“She is.” Petra said and dropped to the ground next to Ingrid, “But it is still hard. She has much afraidness in her.”

Ingrid drew her legs up to rest her chin on them. “So you all figured me out then?”

“It was not hard. You were most obvious.” Petra smiled a little at that, taking the sting out of her words.

She sighed, “I just don’t know what to do. My father would prefer I court a noble for one thing, and a man for another. But I just…would rather get the choice myself.”

“And your choice is being Dorothea.”

Ingrid couldn’t help the smile then, “I wasn’t expecting it. After she helped me with that engagement offer the other month I just kept thinking about how nice it was to have Dorothea at my back. Someone who supported whatever decision I wanted to make wholeheartedly and looked out for me…and then there was the opera.”

“She has a lovely voice.” Petra said, sounding slyer than Ingrid could have ever imagined.

“She does.” Ingrid agreed, her cheeks heating up again. “I’ve never been good at being fancy though. Dorothea…she deserves someone who could.”

“Dorothea deserves someone she likes.” Petra cut her off bluntly. “And she has chosen you.”

Ingrid squinted at her, suspiciously. “Are you certain she did?”

“Two days ago you were training and Dorothea came to watch. She talked about your sweat at the dinner table.” Linhardt interrupted them, sounding annoyed both by being woken up and the memory.

“What was the word she used, Linhardt?” Petra asked, her brow furrowing as she clearly was trying to remember it.

“Glistening.” Linhardt deadpanned.

“Ah yes, a glistening goddess.” Petra snapped her fingers. “She was most admirable, no, ah – she showed most admiration.”

“That’s…almost sweet.” Ingrid tugged a little at her hair, hiding herself from view as she smiled at the idea of Dorothea saying that.

“Then it has been decided.” Petra announced. “We are to be going hunting.”

If Linhardt hadn’t fallen asleep again Ingrid might have exchanged a worried glance with him.

“Hunting?”

* * *

Dorothea regretted it.

She was going to kill Sylvain. And then Felix. And then maybe Dimitri for good measure. And then with no one in her way she was going to somehow elope with Ingrid far, far away from Fodlan and Garreg Mach Monastary and this awful horse she was trying to ride.

“You’re doing…well, honestly, not great.” Sylvain commented from atop his own steed as he watched Dorothea wobble on her horse.

Dorothea gritted her teeth and pulled on the reins in her hands. “Normally I ride with Petra when we go into battle.” She admitted, “Riding has never been my strong suit. There wasn’t much of a chance to as an orphan.”

Sylvain nudged his horse to sidle up beside her and pulled the reins from her clenched hands, repositioning them so it was both more comfortable for her and the horse.

“Are you sure this will impress her?” Dorothea asked skeptically, scowling down at the reins.

“Look, Ingrid appreciates anyone who works hard and showing her that you can in something she loves is just a guarantee. Trust me.” Sylvain grinned, “Besides, don’t you want to be able to ride off with her in the sunset.”

“Well that is a pretty nice idea.” Dorothea agreed. “But when I thought about it we were sharing a horse and Ingrid was in charge of it.”

“Pointless.” A voice said on her other side and Dorothea turned her head to glare at Felix. “Daydreaming’s hardly going to help your skills. Not that much could.”

“Charming as ever Felix.” Dorothea sniffed at his attitude. “Why did we need him again?” She looked back at Sylvain.

Sylvain scratched the back of his neck in embarrassment, “The horseback riding was Felix’s idea.” He admitted. “He knows Ingrid pretty well too.”

“When I said you could recruit help I was more thinking Mercedes…” Dorothea sighed.

“You’re sitting wrong.” Felix said in response. “For someone surprisingly adept with swords you’re terrible at keeping your balance.”

Dorothea preened a little at the compliment from Felix. “That’s when both my feet are on the ground where they belong. Unless of course Ingrid cares to sweep me off them.”

“She will.” Sylvain assured her.

“Not if you don’t stop fidgeting she won’t.” Felix said at the same time.

“At least she’s worth it…” Dorothea sighed to herself and adjusted her grip again.

* * *

“This isn’t how I pictured hunting.” Ingrid said from where she sat in the chair. Petra was behind her, her fingers weaving through Ingrid’s hair as she braided it.

“It is a type of hunting.” Petra said, “A hunting for Dorothea.” She sounded amused and at least one of them was in this situation.

Annette hummed in agreement and would have probably babbled on more but her tongue was stuck out in concentration as she carefully applied the make up on Ingrid’s face. Petra had hardly even needed to ask her for the help before Annette had bounced off to grab her makeup kit.

“Dorothea has appreciation when someone is trying something she enjoys.” Petra stated, her finger nimbly pinning another braid up. “She has expressed much desire in seeing you – how is the expression?”

“Dolled up.” Annette chirped, grinning. “Don’t worry Ingrid, we’ll make you look amazing for Dorothea.”

“Well you don’t need to worry about the blush.” Ingrid muttered mostly to herself. “I’ll take care of that, I’m sure.”

* * *

She hated being sweaty and tired. Dorothea was beginning to see why Linhardt was so into avoiding it and taking naps all day, she was tempted to grab one herself. She ducked her head when she saw Petra near the dorms, letting her hair cover her face which probably looked terrible just then.

Her hat had been knocked off her head and trampled on and she pouted at it in her hands. She’d have to get Bernadetta to help fix it for her where it had torn.

“Same time tomorrow?” Sylvain had asked as she left and Dorothea had made a noise that might have been agreement but she wasn’t sure.

“What’s the good in magic if you can’t make a private bath wherever and whenever you need it.” Dorothea sighed, talking out loud despite that she was alone in the dormitory halls.

Or mostly alone, the shuffling noise alerted her someone was coming and she glanced up to see who it was, hoping that she could conjure up an excuse for her disheveled state that seemed reasonable but stopped as soon as she looked at them.

Blond hair had been braided into two plaits and then pinned back up into a braided bun with loops on both sides. A turquoise dress that just barely brushed against the floor was complimented by the eyeshadow the same colour, making pale green eyes glow even in the dim light.

She looked like every woman that Dorothea had sung an opera about; a muse born to life that Dorothea would easily devote a life composing songs to.

She looked like-

“Ingrid?!”

* * *

The dress wasn’t completely uncomfortable but it certainly wasn’t Ingrid’s first choice. She’d argued just for a simple tunic with pants but been over ruled and she couldn’t deny the results made her look nice. Perhaps nice enough to make Dorothea take a certain notice.

“Would you care to go to the opera?” Ingrid muttered under her breath, “No too simple.” She cleared her throat, “Dorothea Arnault, would you do me the honor of accompanying me to the opera. The singer won’t hold a candle to your voice but I would appreciate the company.”

Ingrid made a face, “Too much, I sound like Sylvain…”

She was about to start practicing her lines again while pacing when the sound of footsteps caught her ear. Petra she knew had been keeping watch and agreed to ‘not let any but Dorothea in’ so there was only one person it could be.

She took a deep breath and walked forward, nearly tripping over the hem of her dress and she wished she was more graceful. If she was on a horse this wouldn’t have been a problem, but on the ground her feet just didn’t seem to want to listen to her.

Ingrid came to a stop however, blinking in surprise at the person in front of her. Brown hair was matted with sweat and dirt compared to it’s usual soft looking appearance, all the make up that Dorothea usually had on had been scrubbed off but whether it was from grime or water Ingrid couldn’t be certain. She looked like she’d just run a marathon the way her shoulders shook a little from exertion, so unlike the composed Dorothea that Ingrid was used to but if she wasn’t lying to herself then Dorothea looked like-

“A glistening goddess.” Ingrid said without thinking and then realized what she’d said and backtracked a little, “Oh! That isn’t to say you don’t always look like a goddess Dorothea. Is that blasphemous? I should ask Mercedes. Right now. Not here.”

Her plans were falling to pieces looking at Dorothea this disheveled. It wasn’t fair how beautiful she still looked but Ingrid couldn’t stop staring if she tried.

* * *

Dorothea felt warm in a way that had nothing to do with the work she’d just put herself through. “Well now, that’s quite the compliment.” She quickly caught herself, falling back to her flirting with ease. “I was about to say the same thing about you Ingrid, you look…” Her breath stuttered a little as she took in Ingrid again, “I’ve already used bewitching haven’t I?”

“Ah.” Ingrid’s cheeks were a red that matched Dorothea’s own now. “Yes, I believe you have.”

“But why are you all dressed up Ingrid?” Dorothea swallowed and forced herself to say, “Off on a date?” 

“I was trying to be.” Ingrid said and fidgeted a little with the sleeve of her dress, a nervous tick for someone not used to be wearing such elegance Dorothea was sure but it just made her seem cute. “Dorothea Arn- no, uh, Dorothea. The opera. You like the opera.”

“Yes?” Dorothea agreed, somewhat questioningly.

Ingrid sighed, “I mean to say, would you like to see an opera.”

Dorothea blinked for a second before the implications caught up on her. “Oh!” She grinned widely, “Ingrid did you get dressed up all for me? I thought you weren’t about to get gussied up to attract someone.” Now that she knew what was going on she couldn’t help but tease.

Sure enough Ingrid’s face grew redder. “I just- I wanted to make the effort.” Ingrid admitted. “It seemed important because…you’re important.”

It wasn’t the first time Ingrid had made her speechless but it usually wasn’t accompanied by a tightness in her chest that was gratitude and awe all in once. “Me?”

“Yes, you.” Ingrid smiled at her softly, “Is that… a yes?”

“Yes, yes, yes!”

* * *

Dorothea’s smile could outshine any opera Ingrid would ever see, she was sure of it. And the fact that Ingrid had caused it made her echo it with her own.

Ingrid cleared her throat, trying to get some of her composure back. “I’m not sure you’re dressed for it though, I’m surprised Dorothea.”

“Ah.” Dorothea looked down at her own appearance. “About that… I was trying to learn how to ride a horse.”

It was Ingrid’s turn to blink in surprise. “A horse? I thought you just rode with Petra in battle?”

“I do.” Dorothea said as she tried to smooth out her skirt, “I was just trying to make an impression on someone.” She looked up at Ingrid with a crooked smile, “I’d been told that hard work and dedication would catch her eye.” She scowled right after however. “I had always thought horseback riding would be easier somehow.”

“That’s…” Ingrid couldn’t keep the amusement out of her voice. “It’s a tough discipline.”

“I’ve noticed.” Dorothea deadpanned.

“You don’t have to do that though.” Ingrid said, shaking her head, “You already caught my eye. It’s why I was avoiding you.” She admitted, “I wasn’t sure how to handle it.

Dorothea’s gaze softened. “I don’t bite Ingrid.” She winked then, “Unless asked that is. And speaking of asking.” Dorothea took a step forward. “I think I once said I’d ask permission before pouncing. Is that still not granted?”

Ingrid took her own step forward to meet Dorothea halfway, “I’ll allow it.”

She’s hardly gotten the words out before Dorothea had pulled her in for a kiss, one Ingrid had trouble keeping up with with her own little experience but certainly tried to. Dorothea’s usual perfume was covered up by the smell of horses and hay but Ingrid didn’t mind that at all, dragging one hand through Dorothea’s hair and delighted it was still as soft as she had imagined. She only pulled back when she need the air, giggling with Dorothea when their eyes met.

“I think the opera’s out for tonight.” Ingrid said once they’d calmed down.

“Oh I can put on a private show anyway.” Dorothea laughed, her voice teasing again.

“How about dinner first?”

“Do we have to go anywhere on horseback?” Dorothea asked, making a face.

Ingrid tried to hold back a grin and failed, “I was thinking a ride out somewhere private would be nice.”

Dorothea paused in consideration, “On second thought, I’m in.” She leaned in to rest her forehead against Ingrid’s, “But I’m not taking the reins.”

“Don’t worry Dorothea, I’ve got you.” Ingrid assured her and was pulled in for another kiss.

* * *

Dorothea put her hands on her hips and straightened her back, standing before Dimitri, Felix, and Sylvain with a steely gaze. “I’ve called you all here for some help. I want to propose to Ingrid and you three happen to know her best. Aside from me of course.”

“You’re dating Ingrid?”

“They have been for five years, try to keep up boar.”

**Author's Note:**

> Ingrid's hair was supposed to be like Leia's in the Empire Strikes Back on Bespin but I can't describe things that well so whoops.


End file.
